Raising Chicks in Winter?

[Hufflefluff]

First, thank you everyone for your thoughtful replies- there's a lot of things to consider, and your responses are all very helpful.
@GinaNew York - I love Dark Brahmas! I had one in my flock before and she was the sweetest chicken, and so gorgeous! Brahmas might be my favorite breed- some feet feathering, which I love, but not enough to really get in their way, large, docile, and steady winter layers. It's fun to hear from other people who like them too, and your bird is gorgeous! Thank you so much for sharing a picture, she's absolutely beautiful

@ChickenCanoe (and GinaNew York) I hadn't considered Jersey Giants, but I appreciate the suggestion- The chicken were really interesting too! I'll have to keep Jersey Giants on my radar- here's to hoping they turn up in my local feed store. Also, thank you for the Cocci info- it's something I always worry about, and so it's really great to have more info on how to prevent it.

@centrarchid - The dryness, I'm learning, is a huge piece; my winter project for the coop is to work on improving ventilation, because that's been something we've struggled with. It seems to counterintiotive to choose ventilation over insulation, but I know it's the right choice. The treat piece was really interesting; I'm curious as to how that works. That's something to look out for if we do get chicks now, as it would be interesting to see if mine would do the same thing. I hadn't considered supplemental lighting, but now that you bring it up I'm thinking about it- I can imagine the benefits, it's just the logistics I'd have to work out.

Finally, @Ridgerunner , thank you so much for your detailed response. I really appreciate all of your advice- your method seems like it works very well, and there are multiple components that I'd like to put into place with my brooding routine. I appreciate your acknowledgement of the risks that winter brooding entails; it's something that we'll have to carefully consider should we choose to move forward. It seems lke there's a lot of pieces to take into account and decisions to make- if we go for chicks now, I might end up asking your advice a few weeks from now

Again, I'm so grateful to everyone fr their responses- you've all given me a lot to think about

 

[centrarchid]

@centrarchid - The dryness, I'm learning, is a huge piece; my winter project for the coop is to work on improving ventilation, because that's been something we've struggled with. It seems to counterintiotive to choose ventilation over insulation, but I know it's the right choice. The treat piece was really interesting; I'm curious as to how that works. That's something to look out for if we do get chicks now, as it would be interesting to see if mine would do the same thing. I hadn't considered supplemental lighting, but now that you bring it up I'm thinking about it- I can imagine the benefits, it's just the logistics I'd have to work out.

You can insulate so long as it does not impact exchange to point you have moisture buildup. Insulation I have used was more important for preventing heat loss by way of conduction where body parts come into contact with a surface that absorbs a lot of the birds heat. Wet surfaces, bare ground and metal will absorb a lot of heat.

The treats can stimulate appetite in birds that are otherwise satiated on a complete feed. When it gets really cold and nights are long, all chickens will deplete their crops before morning. With chicks that can get to point where weight loss results as they tap into fat reserves to stay warm. Some food items stimulate birds to pack a little more in. My birds will usually eat shell corn or wheat even after eating their fill of the grower / maintenance ration I use. That additional intake can be close to 25% more calories packed into crops when birds settle on the roost.

My birds live a tough life during the winter which has allowed them to educate me on when they want better.

When I offer my take, it is not my way or the highway. It is only a suggestion that is more often than not, based on a fair amount of personal experience and a little book learning. Other assessments are being pulled out of the ether.

 

[lazy gardener]

A big concern to me about brooding in the winter: power outages. We often loose power for days at a time, most recently for 3 days (about a week ago) followed by a night about 2 days later. And on and on it goes with the power outages! We have a generator, but I don't have the shoulder strength to start it. I would never consider brooding chicks in the house b/c of the dander. It's a horror show for anyone with compromised respiratory status.

If outages are not a problem for you, and if you have a back up plan, if you do get an outage, and you want to brood winter chicks, then go for it!

Did you get your coop predator proofed? Did you figure out what your predator was? Were you able to dispatch him?